*Wawa, DPS agree to shorten store's hours

*This article appeared in the 2009 joke issue.

Wawa and the Division of Public Safety recently agreed to shorten Wawa's hours of operation in response to a fight that occurred last week between two intoxicated students inside the store.

There are also rumors that the University is considering shortening the hours of 1920 Commons and Houston Market in response to security concerns, but Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush would not confirm these rumors.

These changes come only weeks after Philly Diner, located at 3901 Walnut St., shortened its hours due to the University's security concerns.

According to Rush, the Wawa fight occurred after two students, including one who goes to Drexel University, noticed that there was only one bag of potato chips remaining on the rack in the store.

They both ran to get the last bag, but the Penn student purposely tripped the Drexel student in an unfair advantage to reach it first. This resulted in a fight that Penn Police had to come and break up, Rush said.

But many employees and students are not thrilled by the University's decision to shorten Wawa's hours, which will now close at 10 p.m. on weekends.

"Students need late-night dining options," College and Wharton senior and Undergraduate Assembly chairman Wilson Tong said. "This is a completely unacceptable action that the University is taking."

University President Amy Gutmann also expressed disapproval over the decision. "Now where am I going to get my midnight snack?" Gutmann asked, adding, "FML."

Rush said the decision to shorten the convenience store's hours was necessary for student security on campus.

"It's a very well-known fact that students come into Wawa very late at night intoxicated and with the 'munchies,' and there has been a tendency for fights to break out inside the store," Rush said.

"In fact, 85 percent of all the crime that occurs on campus happens in Wawa," Rush added.

But Wawa employees aren't taking this news too easily.

In response to the University's decision, an anonymous employee at Wawa started the Facebook group "Save Wawa." The group already has 5,000 members, including Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, former Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson and former Penn student Irina Malinovskaya.

The employee who started the group, who wished to remain anonymous in fear of losing his job at Wawa, expressed his dismay at the University's decision.

"The University needs to recognize that this doesn't only hurt our jobs, but it hurts all the homeless who stand outside the door and collect students' leftover change," he said.

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